contract — English Dictionary

Noun

1. An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement.

   Synonyms

   compactpact

   Examples

   sign a contract

   write up a contract

   More examples (6)

   read a contract

   countersign a contract

   legally-binding contract

   unwritten contract

   Marriage is a contract.

   British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far.

2. An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement. A period of work agreed to under a temporary contract.

   Examples

   He worked a six-month contract on an oil rig.

3. An agreement which the law will enforce in some way. A legally binding contract must contain at least one promise, i.e., a commitment or offer, by an offeror to and accepted by an offeree to do something in the future. A contract is thus executory rather than executed.

4. The document containing such an agreement.

5. A part of legal studies dealing with laws and jurisdiction related to contracts.

6. An order, usually given to a hired assassin, to kill someone.

   Usage

   • Informal

   Examples

   The mafia boss put a contract out on the man who betrayed him.

7. The declarer's undertaking to win the number of tricks bid with a stated suit as trump.

Adjective

1. Contracted; affianced; betrothed.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • Obsolete

   Examples

   But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel

2. Not abstract; concrete.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • Obsolete

   Examples

   But now in eche kinde of these, there are certaine nombers named Abſtracte: and other called nombers Contracte.

Verb

1. To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.

   Usage

   • Transitive or intransitive

   Examples

   The snail’s body contracted into its shell.

   to contract one’s sphere of action

   More examples (2)

   We ſee in all things how deſuetude do's contract and narrow our faculties, ſo that we may apprehend only thoſe things wherein we are converſant.

   Mutual was the sudden transport; / Breathless questions followed fast, / Years contracting to a moment, / Each word greedier than the last; […]

2. To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.

   Examples

   The word “cannot” is often contracted into “can’t”.

3. To make an agreement or contract; to covenant.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   The company contracted with the council to build 200 new houses.

4. To enter into a contract with (someone or something).

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   We have just contracted new pest control services.

5. To enter into (an agreement) with mutual obligations; to make (an arrangement).

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Transitive

   Examples

   We have contracted an inviolable amitie, peace, and league with the aforesaid Queene.

   Many persons […] had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity […] prohibited by law.

6. To bring on; to incur; to acquire.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   She contracted the habit of smoking in her teens.

   to contract a debt

   More examples (3)

   Smit with the love of Siſter-arts we came, / And met congenial, mingling flame with flame; / Like friendly colours found our arts unite, / Each from each contract new ſtrength and light.

   This talent of discretion, […] is no where so serviceable as to the clergy, to whose preferment nothing is so fatal as the character of wit, politeness in reading or manners, or that kind of behaviour, which we contract by having too much conversation with persons of high station and eminency; […]

   A love like mine, Sir, I feel, is contracted once and for ever.

7. To gain or acquire (an illness).

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   At that time, the city [Christiania, now Oslo] was in the grip of a cholera epidemic, and victims were dying at the rate of 60 a day. Bradshaw contracted the disease, and died on September 6 [1853].

   An officer contracted hepatitis B and died after handling the blood-soaked clothing of a homicide victim […]

8. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit.

   Examples

   And didſt contract, and purſe thy brow together, / As if thou then hadſt ſhut vp in thy braine, / Some horrible counſell: […]

9. To betroth; to affiance.

   Examples

   The truth is, ſhe and I (long ſince contracted) / Are now ſo ſure that nothing can diſſolve vs: […]

Noun

1. a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law

   Broader terms

   written agreement

2. (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make

   Synonyms

   declaration

   Broader terms

   bidbidding

3. a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks they bid

   Synonyms

   contract bridge

   Broader terms

   bridge

Verb

1. enter into a contractual arrangement

   Synonyms

   undertake

   Broader terms

   promiseassure

2. engage by written agreement

   Synonyms

   signsign onsign up

   Broader terms

   hireengageemploy

   Examples

   They signed two new pitchers for the next season

3. squeeze or press together

   Synonyms

   compressconstrictsqueezecompactpress

   Broader terms

   tighten

   Examples

   she compressed her lips

   the spasm contracted the muscle

4. be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

   Synonyms

   takeget

   Broader terms

   sickencome down

   Examples

   He got AIDS

   She came down with pneumonia

   More examples (1)

   She took a chill

5. become smaller or draw together

   Synonyms

   shrink

   Antonyms

   expand

   Broader terms

   decreasediminishlessenfall

   Examples

   The fabric shrank

   The balloon shrank

6. cause to be smaller

   Broader terms

   shrinkreduce

   Examples

   The heat contracted the woollen garment

7. compress or concentrate

   Synonyms

   condenseconcentrate

   Broader terms

   changealtermodify

   Examples

   Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan

8. make or become more narrow or restricted

   Synonyms

   narrow

   Broader terms

   change

   Examples

   The selection was narrowed

   The road narrowed

9. reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

   Synonyms

   abridgeforeshortenabbreviateshortencutreduce

   Antonyms

   expand

   Broader terms

   decreaselessenminify

   Examples

   The manuscript must be shortened